Imagine the following: You’ve finally inherited the family car that’s been in the family for a number of years and numerous generations. It underwent a complete makeover, and you can’t wait to get behind the wheel of it again. However, when you go to register the vehicle, the authorities inform you that during an inspection, the primary VIN was removed and reattached, which may pose a variety of problems when attempting to register the vehicle. Jackson’s VIN law has changed all that.
Because of the work done by Barrett-Jackson’s VIN law, it is no longer against the law to detach and reconnect the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) on a vehicle while it is being repaired or restored. House Bill 2480, which modifies the existing law to permit owners, restorers, and repairers of pre-1981 vehicles to remove and reinstall a Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) for the purposes of repair or restoration, was signed into law by Arizona Governor Doug Ducey after it was unanimously approved by both the Arizona House of Representatives and the Arizona State Senate.
On July 22, 2022, the Act began to carry out its provisions.
According to Barrett-Jackson’s VIN law, the legislation is significant and beneficial because almost anyone who has restored a car has had to remove and reattach the VIN without realizing that doing so is against the law. This is the reason why the legislation is significant and beneficial.
“Our primary incentive for doing this was for the health and future of our hobby, specifically to maintain the vitality of the collector vehicle universe and to ensure that restorations continue to be produced.”
According to Craig Jackson, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Barrett-Jackson, many vehicle owners and restorers will frequently replicate the original method that was used when the automaker first manufactured the vehicle.
In the process of frame-off or rotisserie restorations, car enthusiasts often remove the components of the vehicle from year to year without being aware of the laws that govern such work in many jurisdictions. In order to complete this procedure, you will need to remove the primary VIN, which is often secured with screws and can be found in a location that varies from vehicle to vehicle.
Steve Davis at the Arizona House of Representatives
Kansas lawmakers recently sent similar legislation to the state’s governor after a 2017 incident in which a Kansas man had purchased a restored 1959 Chevrolet Corvette in Indiana. When he attempted to register the car in his home state, the highway patrol determined that the VIN tag had been removed and reattached, which is against the law. https://quickautobrain.com/no-dice-for-ice-european-union-upholds-2035-internal-combustion-engine-ban/
According to Kansas law at the time, the Corvette was seized and should have been destroyed. There was no exception for someone who purchased a vehicle not knowing about the VIN issue. In this case, the VIN had been removed years earlier during restoration and reattached. On March 22, 2022, Gov. Lauren Kelly approved the Kansas House Bill 2594, which allows for the temporary removal of the VIN during the full restoration of antique vehicles.
Although it remains unclear when the owner of the Corvette will be reunited with his car, the bill is a step toward protecting the Kansas collector car community.
In 2021, Barrett-Jackson’s VIN law began changes in Arizona. “We were aware of the archaic statute making it a crime to remove a VIN, and finally, we said something needed to be done,” Davis said.
“This is a precedent-setting moment that people will look at and then want to emulate this legislation in their states.”
According to Jackson’s VIN law, many states have similar VIN statutes that were enacted during the 1940s and ’50s, a time in which no one could conceive that decades later, such cars would be restored and worth hundreds of thousands of dollars or more.
The federal law on VINs, in comparison, allows a VIN to be removed for necessary repairs to a vehicle. While not as draconian as many state laws on the subject, this still allowed some sort of exception for repairing a vehicle.
Nonetheless, the language of Arizona’s statutes on VINs allowed for no such removal of a VIN for any reason. Such a reading, however, often overlooks the intent behind the statutes in the first place.
Jackson’s VIN law also noted that the spirit of the VIN laws enacted decades ago were aimed at the fraudsters and crooks who were stealing vehicles — not the guy spending tens of thousands of dollars and hours to restore a car. The letter of the law, however, didn’t consider that.
A governmental official, like in the Kansas case, may simply read the statute in place and, regardless of any other circumstances, conclude that the vehicle needs to be seized because a VIN was removed and reinstalled. Amending Arizona’s current VIN statutes to allow for a VIN to be removed for restoration or repairs, however, allows for other factors to be considered.
“That was where we were stuck, and nobody understood or appreciated how significant that can be,” Davis said. “This new bill takes the subjectivity out of the situation.”
When it came to crafting the Arizona legislation, the Barrett-Jackson’s VIN law team wanted to take a narrow approach and use language from the current federal law on VINs to help draft the amendment to the Arizona statute. As such, the amendment to Arizona law is narrow.
Selecting 1981 as the cut-off year wasn’t random. That year, VINs became more standardized, and vehicles produced post-1981 are currently not considered candidates for the level of restoration that requires VIN reattachment.
“As the collector car community evolves and expands to future generations and more makes and models, this cut-off may, at some point, need to be reconsidered,” Jackson’s VIN law states.
According to Davis, the one challenge was getting non-car people to understand the issue. Davis wanted to help educate members of both the House and Senate on the proposed changes.
Arizona State Capitol
After an incident in 2017 in which a guy from Kansas purchased a restored 1959 Chevrolet Corvette in Indiana, lawmakers in Kansas recently sent similar legislation to the state’s governor. This came as a result of the incident. When he tried to register the vehicle in his home state, the local highway patrol discovered that the vehicle identification number (VIN) tag had been removed and then reattached, which is against the law.
The state of Kansas was required to seize the Corvette and dispose of it in accordance with the law that was in effect during that time.
The Jackson’s VIN law
An individual who purchased a vehicle without being aware of the VIN issue was not eligible for an exemption. In this particular instance, the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) had been detached years previously during the restoration process and afterwards reattached. The Kansas House Bill 2594 was authorized by Governor Lauren Kelly on March 22, 2022.
This bill enables the temporary removal of the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) during the process of restoring vintage vehicles to their original condition.
Despite the fact that it is still unknown when the owner of the Corvette will be reunited with his automobile, the bill represents a step toward preserving the collector car community in the state of Kansas.
Barrett-Jackson’s VIN law initiated their campaign to alter the law in the state of Arizona in 2021. According to Davis, “We were aware of the old statute making it a criminal to remove a VIN, and eventually, we said we wanted to say something needed to be done.”
“This is a moment that will set a precedent, which people will look at, and then they will want to pass legislation similar to this in their own states.”
According to Jackson’s VIN law, a number of states have VIN statutes that are very similar to those that were enacted during the 1940s and 1950s. During those decades, no one could have imagined that automobiles from that era would be restored and be worth tens of thousands of dollars or more in the twenty-first century. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wIyq3z5lUf4
In contrast, the federal regulation governing VINs permits the removal of a vehicle’s VIN in order to facilitate any necessary repairs to a vehicle. Even while it was not as stringent as many of the state regulations that pertain to the topic, this still allowed for some form of exception when it came to fixing a car.
Despite this, the language of Arizona’s statutes on VINs did not allow for the removal of a VIN in any manner, regardless of the reason. A reading like this, on the other hand, frequently ignores the intention that was behind the statutes in the first place.
Jackson’s VIN law also mentioned that the fraudsters and criminals who were stealing vehicles were the target of the spirit of the VIN rules that were enacted decades ago. The person who was spending tens of thousands of dollars and hours restoring a car was not the target of these regulations. The legislation, on the other hand, did not take that into account in any way.
Because a Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) was removed and then reinstalled, a government official, similar to the one who handled the case in Kansas, may simply read the statute that is currently in effect and, regardless of any other circumstances that may be present, come to the conclusion that the vehicle must be seized. Altering the current VIN statutes in Arizona such that they permit a VIN to be deleted for the purposes of restoration or repair, on the other hand, makes room for the consideration of other issues.
Davis stated that “there was where we were stuck, and nobody realized or appreciated how crucial that may be.” “That was where we were stuck,” “The new legislation removes any element of subjectivity from the case.”
When it came to the process of drafting the legislation for Arizona, the Barrett-Jackson team intended to take a focused approach and use wording from the existing federal law on VINs to help design the amendment to the Arizona laws. This language was used as a source of inspiration. As a consequence of this, the modification to Arizona law is very specific.
The year 1981 was chosen as the cut-off year after careful consideration. As of that year, automobiles manufactured after 1981 are not currently regarded eligible for the level of restoration that required VIN reattachment. This is because the VIN system became more uniform in that year.
According to Jackson’s VIN law, “at some time in the future, this cut-off may need to be reviewed because the collector automobile community is evolving and expanding to include future generations as well as other makes and models.”
According to Davis, the most difficult part of the process was persuading people who didn’t drive cars to grasp the problem. Davis had the intention of assisting in educating members of the House and Senate about the changes that were being suggested.
The Transportation Committee in the Arizona House of Representatives and the Transportation and Technology Committee in the Arizona State Senate both held hearings on the measure after it was sponsored by Frank Carroll, the Chair of the Transportation Committee in the Arizona House of Representatives. It was approved without a single vote being cast against it in either chamber of the government.
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Davis explained that they had approached this endeavor in a hobbyist capacity. “We are all the guy in the garage, rebuilding the car and being forced to remove the VIN in order to keep it from being destroyed and then reattaching it after we are finished.
That is the guiding principle behind this piece of law, and it is something that will be to everyone who enjoys collecting classic cars’ benefit and protection. Because it was actually more about the hobby, this law was also very significant to us, which is why it was so crucial that it was passed.
The majority of the cars that fall under the purview of HB 2480 are those driven on a recreational basis. National attention was drawn to the bill proposed in Arizona since it turned out to be legislation that everyone was pleased to support.
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Davis owes the successful passage of the bill to the openness of the Arizona legislature and their willingness to listen, as well as to the fact that it is commonsense legislation that is beneficial not only to the collector vehicle market but also to the state of Arizona. He pointed out that Arizona is quickly becoming the epicenter of the culture around automobiles, in large part as a result of the Barrett-Jackson auction and the state’s pro-business climate.
Davis characterized his group as “enthusiasts” first and foremost. This is a victory for the true believers. It is not a triumph for Barrett-Jackson’s VIN law, but rather it is a victory for the hobby.
This article was originally published by the Motor Authority.